Formed After 7.7 Earthquake, Island Near Gwadar Has Vanished

A mud island that appeared 6 years ago off the coast of Gwadar due to a 7.7-magnitude earthquake has now suddenly disappeared. The island was namedZalzala Koh or Earthquake Mountain.

The temporary island which measured 65 feet high, 295 feet wide and 130 feet long appeared from beneath the waves in 2013 following the eruption of a mud volcano. The phenomena took place when the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, launching the buried mud and boulders to the surface.

The island was made from quick-moving sediment, which meant that it wouldn’t last long. Satellite imagery from NASA shows the side by side comparison of the activity from 2013 as well as 2019. Here’s how it was created and later vanished:

The island gradually shrunk and earlier this year, it has almost disappeared beneath the waves. According to NASA, due to the mud volcanoes, more such islands can appear and vanish like the Zalzala Koh off the Pakistani coast.